PLASTICS

ESSENTIALS pancakes
Bottles and Tubs

COMMON USES
PET
Polyethylene terepthalate
soda, water and juice bottles; some takeout
containers
HDPE
High Density Polyethylene
milk and water jugs, some margarine tubs,
detergent bottles, grocery sacks
PV
Polyvinyl Choloride
some detergent bottles, shrink wrap, siding
and pipes, product packaging, shower curtains
LDPE
Low Density Polyethylene
garbage, sandwich, and dry cleaning bags;
six-pack rings, lids from tubs, plastic wrap
RECYCLED INTO
fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping
and bean bags; rope, carpet, parking
stops and other plastic bottles.
toys, piping, plastic lumber, nursery
containers and other plastic bottles
plastic pipes, shower curtains,
medical tubing and vinyl dashboards
plastic lumber, wrapping films,
grocery/sandwich bags and
recycling carts
& biscuits
BLOWN MOLDED
PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION Plastics are the same way. They
all have the same initial components
Just think about a pancake and a that makes them plastic and relate to
biscuit; although they are made of the the number they are given (i.e., 1-7);
same ingredients (water, eggs, flour however, the individual makeup within
and milk), there are different quantities each product dictates our ability to
of these ingredients within each item. recycle it. Injection–blown plastics, like
Pancake batter is runnier than biscuit a water bottle, are similar to pancakes;
batter, making it easier to pour. Where- and molded plastics, such as a butter
as, biscuit batter is more easily tub, are similar to biscuits. So even
though a plastic item may have #2 on
molded. You cook them at different
temperatures for different lengths of the bottom of it, not all #2s are the
time, one in the oven and one on the same.
stove.

PP
w s ?
clothes hangers, car bumpers
Polypropylene
yogurt cups, margarine tubs, screw-on lids/
caps from bottles, straws, souvenir cups
What if i t h a s a r r o
PS baseboards, CD cases, lightweight
Polystyrene concrete and packaging
expanded styrofoam, egg cartons, cups, and
packing pellets; cutlery and picnic cups Can any plastic bottle with a NO The plastics industry created the
recycling symbol be recycled in coding system to mean it can be
my community? recycled somewhere in the world but
Mixed Plastics nothing at this time. not necessarily in your town.
squeezable bottles,
biodegradable plastics To see what’s recyclable near you,
go to http://nc.myecoville.com/ecosearch
RECYCLED INTO items colored orange
PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
are manufactured in NC